Anyone who has laced up a pair of sneakers and dribbled a basketball has, in addition to regulation games, played 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3 or 4-on-4.

The game’s appeal includes the opportunity to practice by yourself, as well as the opportunity to enjoy the game with just a couple of others, whether inside or outside.

Denver East senior Dominique Collier recently played 3-on-3, in Jakarta, Indonesia. As a member of FIBA’s USA Team, Colorado’s reigning Mr. Basketball, as named by The Denver Post, took a 20-hour trip by jet first to Seoul, South Korea, and then to Jakarta. It was a basketball experience he’ll never forget.

“Me and my dad (Darryl) talked about all the times when I was younger and I didn’t ever think I would make it this far in basketball,” he said. “I didn’t really take it that serious.”

Collier, who led East to last season’s Class 5A title game and has prior national age-group team experience, had a 10-day hoops dream that began in late September.

It was 3-on-3 half-court play on an outside court with 3-pointers counting as two points and everything else as one point except for dunks, which counted for two points. Games were to 21. Teams were comprised of four players and Collier, a guard, competed with Cliff Alexander, a Chicago high-schooler; Larry Austin, a schoolboy from Springfield, Ill.; and DeMonte Flannigan, a freshman at Cleveland State.

There was one other unusual element to the games. Play involved the smaller girls’ ball.

“I guess that’s what they do out there,” said Collier, who was asked to handle most of the outside shooting for his team.

The USA Team he played with earned victories over Andorra (21-6), China (21-9), Bulgaria (21-9), the Czech Republic (21-3), Guatemala (22-1), Chinese Taipei (21-7) and the Philippines (21-14) in sweeping its group.

It was hot playing outside, Collier said, but it didn’t keep the throngs of locals from attending the competition.

“Big crowds,” Collier said. “And especially for our games, there wasn’t one where it wasn’t packed.”

It was particularly loud when the USA fell in the Round of 16, to Lithuania.

“It was very competitive,” Collier said. “They were strong out there, practicing and trying to beat Team USA. They all wanted to beat us and when we lost, everyone went crazy.”

Collier said he embraced everything about the trip, from the area to a monument that changed colors — “It was neat,” he said — near the courts. East coach Rudy Carey has noticed a progression in Collier’s maturity.

“He enjoyed it, has put on a little weight and is playing better than ever,” Carey said. The 6-foot Collier now weighs 166 pounds.

Yes, Collier said, he had to catch up academically after missing seven school days, but the University of Colorado-bound 17-year-old said he’s ready to take charge of the Angels.

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